The 2017-18 Utah Jazz: An Unexpected Season

7 of 10

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – APRIL 23: Ricky Rubio #3 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz after the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Four of Round One of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on April 23, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

“The strength of our team is our team”

From the hilarious social media interactions between teammates to the post-game water bottle showers, this Jazz team was just that — a team!

Coach Quin Snyder, when asked about his team’s greatest strength, responded, “the strength of our team is our team.”

While his comments may seem oversimplified, they had a profound impact. Coach Snyder was able to get a complete buy-in from his roster. No single piece was greater than the whole. This Jazz team perfectly defined what it truly means to compete as a team.

Check out my piece here for a deeper look at how Utah’s selfless, team-first style of basketball led them to more success than many thought possible.

Utah Jazz: Come for the game, stay for the press conference https://t.co/vRMOTDc1ID pic.twitter.com/EFp2gB82qQ
— The J-Notes (@TheJNotes) May 4, 2018

The friendships that these players built over the course of the season helped translate to trust on the court. Egos didn’t get in the way of team success.

Alec Burks was a perfect example of this mentality. After largely falling out of the rotation near the season’s end, Burks remained ready and performed admirably in Utah’s second-round matchup with the Rockets.

Not once do I recall a complaint or gripe from Burks. Nor did he refuse to take garbage minutes like another certain former Jazzman. He simply stayed prepared for when his number would be called.

That is what this team was all about. Win or lose, Jazz fans should be proud of the TEAM and the culture that has been built in Utah.

Home/Jazz News